We hope you’re wearing black, because today marks the release of the final Wild Beasts record. Titled Last Night All My Dreams Came True, the collection is a career-spanning live studio album comprised of 13 tracks. Subscribers of Apple Music and Spotify can stream below. You can album grab a copy here.

The album will feature cuts from 2008’s Limbo, Panto, 2011’s Smother, 2014’s Present Tense, and 2016’s Boy King. These aren’t just straightforward renditions, however. Just look at pre-release single “The Devil’s Palace”, which mashes together Limbo, Panto‘s “The Devil’s Crayon” and Present Tense‘s “Palace”. All 13 tracks were apparently recorded over just two days last summer at RAK Studios.

“It’s us as tight and slick as we ever have been,” the band’s Tom Fleming declared in a statement “And it’s also us giving the fewest fucks we’ve ever given. There’s a sense of celebration and destructiveness combined, a sense that the fetters are off. Not that they were ever on … but that sense of limited time before you shuffle off is very much a motivator.”

Wild Beasts announced their split in September via a statement on Facebook. “The four of us have decided, for our own reasons and in our own ways, that it is now time to leave this orbit,” they wrote. “We’re care takers for something precious and don’t want to have it diminish as we move forward with out lives.” The writing had been on the wall for a while, though. In a 2016 interview with The Independent, the band said they’d “become the band we objected to being.”

Last Night All My Dreams Came True follows last year’s Punk Drunk and Trembling, an EP of three original tracks. The band’s last shows are tonight and tomorrow in Manchester and London, respectively. More details, as well as the album’s artwork and tracklist, can be found below.

Last Night All My Dreams Came True Artwork:

Last Night All My Dreams Came True Tracklist:01. Wanderlust (Live at RAK)02. Big Cat (Live at RAK)03. A Simple Beautiful Truth (Live at RAK)04. 2BU (Live at RAK)05. Bed Of Nails (Live at RAK)06. Hooting & Howling (Live at RAK)07. This Is Our Lot (Live at RAK)08. He The Colossus (Live at RAK)09. The Devil’s Palace (Live at RAK)10. Alpha Female (Live at RAK)11. Get My Bang (Live at RAK)12. All The King’s Men (Live at RAK)13. Celestial Creatures (Live at RAK)

Due out via Merge Records (the label founded by Superchunk’s own Mac McCaughan), it serves as the band’s 11th studio effort and follow-up to I Hate Music from 2013. Special guest collaborators such as Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields), Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog), and David Bazan appear throughout the course of the album’s 11 tracks.

What a Time to Be Alive — not to be confused with Drake’s mixtape of the same name — was written almost entirely between November 2016 and February 2017, right around the same time of the now-infamous US election that put Donald Trump in power. The record is said to reflect on those politically turbulent months.

“It would be strange to be in a band, at least our band, and make a record that completely ignored the surrounding circumstances that we live in and that our kids are going to grow up in,” McCaughan notes in a press statement. He goes on to describe the album as “about a pretty dire and depressing situation but hopefully not a record that is dire and depressing to listen to.”

What a Time to Be Alive Tracklist:01. What a Time to Be Alive02. Lost My Brain03. Break the Glass04. Bad Choices05. Dead Photographers06. Erasure07. I Got Cut08. Reagan Youth09. Cloud of Hate10. All for You11. Black Thread

“One day off tour I woke up one morning and I walked downstairs and I wrote a song,” Carrabba told The New York Times about the genesis of the album. “It was evident from the first melodic idea that this was a Dashboard song… After all that time I’d begun to wonder if they’d ever come back, and when they came back they came back in rapid succession. The whole thing was a cavalcade and I just surrendered to it.”

Crooked Shadows is the follow-up to 2009’s Alter the Ending. Dashboard Confessional will commence their North American trek behind the release on February 21st in Vancouver. They’ll be joined by Philly punk outfit Beach Slang during the US leg of the tour. Check out the complete schedule here, and grab tickets here.

Glover is currently working on his final album under his alter-ego’s name. Back in June, the multi-faceted entertainer told The Huffington Post that he was retiring the Childish Gambino moniker because “it wouldn’t be punk anymore” and likened it to an unnecessary film sequel.

Track by Track is a recurring new music feature in which an artist offers a comprehensive rundown of their new album.

Forget what you thought it meant to be or have a dream wife. It’s 2018, and the concept is essentially dead, reborn in the punk-influenced fury of British/Icelandic trio Dream Wife. With a battery of songs catchy enough to be called poppy but full of an urgent thrashing that shreds convention, the band gleefully reclaims femininity for the beer swilling indie disco crowds. And the takeover begins with the release of their new self-titled debut.

Perhaps no track better encapsulates Dream Wife’s missions statement than “Somebody”, a defiant drudge that declares in no uncertain terms, “I am not my body/ I am somebody.” Yet the efforts 11 songs run the full gamut of emotion and desire. Opener “Let’s Make Out” is a fierce reclamation of sexual independence, while “Spend the Night” hesitantly asks for a sign of reciprocated feelings. Throughout it all, the band burns back objectification with fiery musicianship that is as much riot grrrl as it is ’70s-honoring indie rock.

Check it all out by streaming and/or purchasing Dream Wife below.

For more insight into the album, Dream Wife have taken the time to break it down Track by Track. Read on to learn more.

“Let’s Make Out”:“Lets Make Out” is a raucous party track, an invitation to a wild, good time and conveniently the opener to our DEBUT ALBUM! It’s a forceful yet fun reclamation of female sexuality. The energy is to grab whatever cute person you’ve got your eye on and (with consent ofc) take life by the horns.

“Somebody”:“Somebody” explores the idea of female sexuality a step further and places it implicitly with the individual. Existence in a female body is not consent; makeup is not consent; clothing is not consent; making out with someone is not (necessarily) consent. “Somebody” is a response to the outpouring of pain, strength and solidarity during The Slut Walk in Reykjavik summer before last, the need for this dialogue globally was enforced during the resurfacing of the #metoo campaign last October. “Somebody” is a call for solidarity and for changes in the fabric of our society.

“Fire”:We often refer to ourselves as a fire trio; in reference to the energy we feel as a unit and our to astrological sun symbols (Sagittarius, Sagittarius, Leo). Fire explores that energy between people. It’s the spark, that’s very real but you can’t see or touch, but you can feel; electric and explosive in turn.

“Hey! Heartbreaker”:“Hey! Heartbreaker” is a song truly written on the road, in front of a live audience, ever growing and ever changing. It first came to fruition during that fabled Canada Tour that you’ll often hear us mention. But now this song gets to live out it’s destiny in this full on fantasy recording; pumped up, wild and we don’t know about you but we just can’t sit still.

“Love Without Reason”:“Love Without Reason”; our ballad, our love song for the modern day. Of course we have a soft side, but, of course we couldn’t keep too quiet.

“Kids”:“Kids” is the sister song to “Love Without Reason”. It’s nostalgic, bittersweet and there’s always this moment on stage where we look around and grin because really, “we don’t wanna be anywhere else.” It’s a song from those days when it’s always sunny, and you can waste time together blissfully, because time is endless.

“Taste”:After an insightful comment from a lover we almost called this song “Blow Job”; make of that what you will.

“Act My Age”:“Act My Age” contains both our most sweet pop side with our most wild rocking side; perhaps present in these dual forces lays a fundamental truth about our current ethos; to exist in both extremes and to give the word an example of women existing in both extremes (and plenty of places in-between too).

“Right Now”:“Right Now” encapsulates those times when we’ve been working hard and playing harder. Those times when you haven’t been home in weeks, and you are running on pure adrenaline, and you feel kind of wild, and don’t know how you’re still going but, hey, here you are, and it feels kind of good, but all you want is to be with really good friend, the kind of friend you can call at 1am and say, “can we get a pizza?” You know, those kinds of times.

“Spend the Night”:Drawing to the end of the album is “Spend The Night”. “Spend The Night” is the sweetness in the knowledge of knowing time together is brief. It’s compassionate, strong and vulnerable. As a band you pass through cities and places so often and frequently and have this kind moment with so many people; “Spend The Night” is a love letter to every person in every city that we’ve touched, or that touched us.

“F.U.U.” (feat. Fever Dream)There was a time when we thought we’d keep “F.U.U.” as an unlisted secret track to really mess with people’s eardrums, but when a secrets this good, why keep it? The big secret is that really it’s tune about a haircut, but at the same time “F.U.U.” is an unapologetic, no-fucks given assault on whatever’s making you MAD; be that your creepy driving instructor that keeps slapping your thigh, that dude telling you that you “better practice you’re guitar because looks fade,” or the friend that offers some condescending, slut shaming insight in the wake of sexual assault. And with our pal and all round Baddest Bitch Fever Dream spitting bars it’s a track that doesn’t quit. C’mon, scream “BITCHES” with us. It. Feels. So. Good.

Today, Wilco are revisiting their past with deluxe reissues of their first two albums, 1995’s A.M. and 1996’s Being There. Apple Music and Spotify users can taken a listen to both below.

Due out through Rhino Records, each reissue comes jam-packed with bonus material. A.M., available on CD and double-LP, boasts eight unreleased songs. Those include an early take on “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” and “When You Find Trouble”, the final studio recording from Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, and Ken Coomer’s pre-Wilco band, Uncle Tupelo. In liner notes provided exclusively for the reissue, Stirratt wrote, “Listening back to records 15 to 20 years later, I’m always taken with the confident but guileless quality of bands in their 20s, that strange mixture of innocence and conviction, and this is one of those records.”

The Being There reissue, meanwhile, is bundled with even more extra goodies, spread across five CDs or four LPs. There are 15 previously unreleased bonus tracks, including alternate takes on “I Got You” and “Say You Miss Me”. For the digital and CD formats, a 20-song live performance recorded at California’s Troubadour circa 1996 will be included. All versions will come with a four-song KCRW set the band recorded later that same year.

A.M. and Being There Artwork:

A.M. Deluxe Reissue Tracklist:01. I Must Be High02. Casino Queen03. Box Full Of Letters04. Shouldn’t Be Ashamed05. Pick Up The Change06. I Thought I Held You07. That’s Not The Issue08. It’s Just That Simple09. Should’ve Been In Love10. Passenger Side11. Dash 712. Blue Eyed Soul13. Too Far Apart

Being There Deluxe Reissue Tracklist:Disc One: Original Album01. Misunderstood02. Far, Far Away03. Monday04. Outtasite (Outta Mind)05. Forget The Flowers06. Red-Eyed And Blue07. I Got You (At The End Of The Century)08. What’s The World Got In Store09. Hotel Arizona10. Say You Miss Me

Disc Four: Live At The Troubadour 11/12/96 (Part One)01. Sunken Treasure02. Red-Eyed And Blue03. I Got You (At The End Of The Century)04. Someone Else’s Song05. Someday Soon06. Forget The Flowers07. New Madrid08. I Must Be High09. Passenger Side – Punk Version10. Passenger Side11. Hotel Arizona12. Monday13. Say You Miss Me

The album also marks the first time Gainsbourg wrote her own lyrics. “This time it felt like flying on my own,” she said in a statement. “I knew I needed the right collaborator, and SebastiAn was always there, but all the same, this time the album is really mine.”

She added, “In the shadow of my father, writing in French was something I never dared to do.” However, she was inspired to do so following the death of her sister, photographer Kate Barry.

Track by Track is a recurring new music feature in which an artist offers a comprehensive rundown of their new album.

Lead singer/rhythm guitarist Mike Tony, keyboardist Nick “Demo” DeMolina, lead guitarist Cooper Formant, and bassist John Paul “Puppy” Frank of The Fluids are here to blow out the speakers of Brooklyn rock. Unwilling to let their hometown’s indie scene dominate the discussion when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll, the upstart band deliver a howling mix of no-wave art punk that’s always set to 11. Today, they’re sharing the first salvo in their battle against mundanity with their debut full-length,No Kidding!.

After introducing themselves with the lead single “Creatures” last month, The Fluids are here with 10 tracks of wild, blistering sounds. “When I started writing songs again, I was going for a ‘What if Pavement covered Bowie?’ vibe,” Tony recently told Noisey. “I wanted to make short, contained pop songs with interesting structures that all kind of sounded distinct. My biggest fear is having someone go to a show and say ‘well it’s cool, but all the songs kinda sound the same.’”

That’s definitely not a concern on No Kidding!, as the album stretches from the riff-tastic “Lines” to the dreary afternoon drudge of “On Ice”. Pre-order the album here or here, and take a listen to the full thing below. You can also check out The Fluids live at their album release show tomorrow, October 26th, at New York City’s Mercury Lounge.

For more insight into how they’re reshaping Brooklyn rock, Formant and Tony broke down No Kidding! track by track. Check it out:

“Lines”:Cooper: Mike had this song with a quick two power chord riff. It was simple but powerful, but kind of a blank canvas. This is full-speed Fluids with a Devo-like synth lick superimposed by Demo. I wanted to add something that created even more momentum and excitement so i added this Hendrix/Prince frantic blues lick with these major 3rd double stop slides that kind of create an off-kilter carousel vibe. The coolest thing about this song is the contrast in amplitude as well as tempo between the slow verses and the full speed instrumental jaunts that alternate. And then there is this bizarre bridge part where we go to Madagascar for a few bars before returning to the 1950s slow dance in outer space.

Mike: A challenge — both to play and to listen to in some ways. A low synth gong sound and a blast of feedback is the first thing you hear on the album. It swings and changes and punches and churns and it’s all very unexpected. You leave it not knowing what we are going to sound like over the next 9 songs. The song is a fucking boxing match. There is a tension and a struggle between the parts that comes through musically and vocally. It’s a conversation, reasoned on one side, unhinged on the other. It’s the band at its most versatile and its most disorientating.

“Sign N’ Drive”:Cooper: When this song came about we were listening to this song called “Fantastic Man” by William Onyeabor as played with the Atomic Bomb band. When The Fluids were a new band, we would jam on things and play other’s songs and such. This was one of those times Mike heard that song and kinda used it as a springboard to do his Mike raps over. It has that same (I-ii) soul chord sequence in the verses. I felt like the song had a ton of empty space to fill so I wanted to come up with a guitar hook. I always loved jazz and I kinda wanted to make something that sounded like a saxophone would play it. The solo section I try to do a Sonny Rollins St. Thomas type rhythmic motif to try and keep the excitement up. I also think you can hear some Led Zepplin, classic rock vibes in there; I play a Les Paul. I was really happy this was a single in a time when guitar is not considered cool anymore.

Mike: Named for it’s inevitable use in a car commercial, this is an infectious sounding song with a killer guitar hook. Lyrically, it’s mostly about isolating yourself in crowded spaces.

“New Land Sale”:Cooper: This might be my favorite song that we play. This is an opener usually. I really like how the recording came out for this one. There is a really striking and interesting figure/ground relationship between the count off and the start. And then at the end there is this return to normalcy that is almost musical in and of itself, the contrast. The drums count off and then I make noise on the guitar. Then there are these soccer chants that Mike sampled that are triggered. It’s really bananas. The lyrics are ridiculous too. It’s like a kraut rock/Dinosaur Dr. hybrid. For the “solo” in this song I detune my low string all the way and play it by yanking the string. Then when Mike comes back to the mic, I start tunning up the low E string so it hits E when the next part comes. It sounds like a motorcycle coming or something. Very low tech but this is rock and roll. Shit is raw.

Mike: A statement of intent. An anthem to kneel to. Shouted from lungs of soccer hooligans worldwide. New Land Sale! New Land Sale! Reach out and touch the face of God!

“Midnight”:Cooper: This is a rousing power ballad, you might say if you are high. I have my own ideas what it’s about but you would have to ask Mike. My main contribution is an e-bow thing in the chorus that kinda hangs in the air and shadows Mike’s full throated lament from above like an extra-terrestrial orb or something lol. Ok, it’s not that intense but it’s cool, I think.

Mike: It’s a dramatic reading of The Economist set to a melancholic chord sequence. The slow funk bass groove does the heavy lifting. I wanted to make something that had a little more room to breathe and I wanted to relax for a second during our sets. I don’t have much interest in writing an overtly political song and this is by no means that. But I think it captures a certain unease and feeling of desperation we are all becoming familiar with. The solo at the end is a cathartic moment. It’s like punching a hole in a wall.

“Creatures”:Cooper: This was the song that made me want to join the band. It sounded classic to me with a repeated bass line playing the same chords throughout the song similar to a song like “Once In A Lifetime.” Mike also had some great guitar riffs in the tune that create an arc and keep the flavor. The beat is pretty original in my opinion and gives the song its real character. In the early days of playing this song live I used to play a timbale solo after the second chorus but in the studio we just wanted to focus on making it grooving. Puppy really shines on bass on this number too.

Mike: “Creatures” was my return to songwriting. It was the track that opened up my eyes to the idea that the right groove could sustain a song endlessly. Three chords. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. It’s me trying to be sexy like Prince. It was about my surroundings. It’s about making plans you won’t keep, internal tug of wars, and people that are all pretty fuzzy to me at this point. It’s a party, but not one I am sure I want to be dancing at.

“Heavy Door”:Cooper: This is The Fluids at our most (*holds nose*) “Bruce Core.” I like this, it’s like a futuristic, steampunk Rolling Stones-type number. It’s always a crowd pleaser.

Mike: Another song brimming with critical self-reflection. Trying to navigate the disparate poles of my personality; my desires to be ‘good’ and ‘better’ and the reality of what I present to the world. The song is very visual for me. I like to think of the ‘room filled with sand’ quite literally. My favorite part is hands down the outro where we all pretend to be members of the E-Street Band and jam to a saxophone, played by our good friend (and Caveman’s keyboardist) Sammy Hopkins. This song was born into existence with the idea of a sax solo and few things are satisfying as creating something that matches what you hear in your head.

“Favorite Gun”:Cooper: This is probably the newest song on this record. We recorded it in one take basically as an afterthought. It was messy but it had a vibe so we decided to include it. This song BURNS live and Mike really makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up vocally. Mike is a super chill, quiet guy in life but a MONSTER on-stage. This is one of the songs where he basically has a gran mal seizure live when we play it.

Mike: This is probably what I would listen to if I exercised. This song is a breathless sprint, an anxiety-ridden deep dive into the psyche of a lonely mind. One thought to the next with limited connective tissue. I love how it starts, each of us slowly finding our way into the groove. It clicks and we’re off. The chorus is, for all intents and purposes, the Greek chorus in my head – ‘I should’ve taken it easy…”

“Turnt”:Cooper: This is one of my favorite songs to play mainly because I get to play multiple guitar solos. There is a loopy, delirious, atonal lick that counts the song off and then it soars into this Strauss-like, highly dramatic D-minor hurricane. The sonics in this song are familiar but there is a twist. Something is “off.” I feel like it captures the feeling of the times in some way. I hear mass shootings and chaos in that song. It’s a song about fighting to live and you can hear the blades clashing sonically.

Mike: “Turnt” is an explosion, an eight man blitz on third-and-long. I like to think of Cooper as a middle linebacker, blasting through the line of scrimmage, knocking the quarterback sideways into the dirt. The lyrics are somewhat schizo in nature, a vitriolic lecture from a disgruntled and disenchanted professor. In this song, ‘home’ is the idea of stability and the familiar. That was long ago. We are now Magellan in uncharted waters. We left home and have succumbed to a new, uncomfortable normal, living without any semblance of direction. Stop the world and let me off. The confusion is palpable. Grab your jacket and say goodbye to no one.

“Just Like Me”:Cooper: This and “Creatures” were the first 2 songs Mike and Nick ever shared with me when we worked at the bar. It’s Mike at his most poignant, lyrically and it’s the one song that kinda tells a story. I love this song. I added some guitar parts and a tremolo-picked solo but really tried to keep things minimal from my standpoint. The song is so strong it really didn’t need a lot of ancillary bells and whistles.

Mike: One of the few instances where I can actually remember the writing process. I was trying to combine a couple of different elements – namely “Silver Cloud” by La Dusseldorf andThe Beautiful Ones” by Prince — and things sort of fell into place naturally for me. I knew I wanted that high pitched, droning synth. I knew I wanted it to be big. The words spilled out. It was a very introspective process. Before I knew it, I was calling myself, ‘dusty and spineless.’ I’m glad I didn’t run away from the self reflection (and criticism) because I think it’s what people connect to. The chorus is a come to Jesus moment – this is who I am and it’s not going to change even if I wanted it to.

“On Ice”:Cooper: This has been our closer for most of our shows. It started out as a very drum heavy (even with drum solo) hard rock number. Our founding drummer Alex had a lot to do with how the song it structured, I believe. I think it started as a jam between Mike and him. It’s really a live song. Besides the Muppet-like, background echoes, I think this was all recorded live in one take. I didn’t want to really play a long solo in the middle of this so when the breakdown comes I do noise things. I love avant-garde shit and noise-based music so I wanted to makes some metallic, messy squeaks and squawks to break the expectation of a straight-ahead guitar solo. Guitars can make so many noises even without a lot of effects pedals. My favorite part of this song is how the end gets so heavy we sound like we are falling down a flight of stairs.

Mike: “On Ice” is the cherry jubilee at the end of the album. Sonically, I wanted something rough and almost uncontainable. Structurally, I wanted it to be all over the place but in a way that makes sense. The outro jam, like most good things, happened spontaneously. After the second chorus, the sound narrows in on the drums and bass line. Four bars later, the dam is broken and the flood has begun. I love the idea of introducing the ‘signature’ riff of the song over 3 minutes into it. The end sounds like we’re playing our instruments in the middle of an avalanche, being tossed and thrown around.

Today, NYC rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ beloved debut album, Fever to Tell, is being reissued in the form of a new deluxe edition. Included on the double-disc collection are fresh remasters by Stephen Marcussen, nine previously unreleased four-track demos, and eight B-sides and rarities, two of which have never before been heard. One, “Shake It”, was shared when the reissue was announced, followed soon by the four-track demo version of “Black Tongue”. You can stream the entire thing below via Apple Music.

Coming from Interscope/UMe, the box set features the remastered album pressed on 180-gram audiophile black vinyl for the first time in 10 years. The goodies don’t stop there, as the package — which awesomely comes wrapped in fishnet stockings and is limited to just 2,000 copies — also includes newspaper lyric posters with photos from guitarist Nick Zinner and folks like Spike Jonze and Lance Bangs; a 164-page hardbound photo book with Zinner’s personal photos; and tons of other bonuses. That includes a cassette featuring another three four-track demos plus a never-before-released demo called “Phone Jam”. Karen O and company really went all in, and it’s truly a “deluxe” deal befitting an album that’s become regarded as a modern classic.

YYYs are scheduled to make their live comeback at The Growlers Six music festival later this month and also have gigs at LA’s Fonda Theatre on October 25th and Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on November 7th. For more, you can revisit the era of NYC rock that birthed Fever To Tell in Lizzy Goodman’s oral history of the period, Meet Me In The Bathroom. Also be sure to check out our list of the 50 records that shaped punk rock as well as our list of the 20 best major label debuts — both of which features Fever to Tell.

Track by Track is a recurring new music feature in which an artist offers a comprehensive rundown of their new album.

On March 19th, 1996, the world was introduced to one of alternative rock’s most steadfast and powerful singer-songwriters, Tracy Bonham. That’s the day she released her debut album, The Burdens of Being Upright, a record that would go Gold and produce “Mother Mother”, the only single by a female solo artist to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart until Lorde’s “Royals” 17 years later. An inspiration for many and a historically important release, Burdens holds a special place in many music fans’ hearts even today.

Now, to celebrate her debut’s 20th anniversary, Bonham has re-recorded the entire thing as Modern Burdens. This is more than a self-tribute album, however, as the lyrics of Burdens have as much resonance today as they did two decades ago. “This album was written about an abusive ex-boyfriend more than twenty years ago,” Bonham said in her announcement of the project, “and the lyrics are finding their way into present day conversations I am/we are having about misogyny, making themselves relevant again.”

She chose to highlight that fight by releasing Modern Burdens today, October 11th, aka International Day of the Girl. It’s also why she brought aboard a number of other women to help her reimagine the tracks in their new, stripped down setting. Tanya Donelly (Belly, The Breeders), Rachel Yamagata, New Pornagraphers’ Kathryn Calder, Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo, Australian pop singer Angie Hart, Nicole Atkins, and Speedy Ortiz/Sad13’s Sadie Dupuis all appear throughout the record. “I am forever grateful to have these seven amazing and talented women in my life and on my new Modern Burdens album,” Bonham tells Consequence of Sound. “I wanted to re-record my debut album with a new twist, but I never imagined that I would have such a cast of generous, beautiful, spiritual women by my side.”

You can order the record for yourself here, and stream the whole thing below.

For more insight on what it was like re-recording such a beloved debut with so many talented female artists, Bonham has broken down Modern Burdens for our latest Track by Track. Read on to learn how prominent a role Twitter had in the collaborations, how the songs’ meanings changed with time, and what it was like reflecting on these tracks 20 years later.

“Mother Mother”:After becoming a mother myself, I wanted to rewrite the lyrics to say, “Mom, WTF, you didn’t tell me motherhood would be this hard…. Everything’s FINE!” But we are also celebrating twenty years of change for everyone. So, I felt it necessary to make it less personal and more relevant to today’s news. When I call home these days, I try to remain calm but I end up screaming, “Everything’s FINE” and this time it’s not about being hungry or dirty, it’s about being scared shitless for everyone’s safety and well-being.

“Navy Bean”:In the early 90’s I was a classical violinist turned rocker girl, touring around in a van, wearing Converse shoes, being ironic with my electric guitar whenever possible. “Navy Bean” was one of those songs where I thumbed my nose at my classical education. The simple chord structure, with the rapid fire drumming and the complicated song form made the song interesting, but it was tight and hemmed-in and the song wasn’t allowed to breathe or exude sexuality. The cryptic lyrics and the quick tempo was my way of hiding from the truth at that time — that I had been sexually and emotionally abused by an ex-boyfriend. Today, I sing the song differently, as a mother and as a woman who has healed from the injuries of the past, and as a woman who can sing and play the guitar with sexuality not just irony.

“Tell It To The Sky” (featuring Nicole Atkins):Nicole was one of the first women my producer, John Wlaysewski (Late Cambrian), and I had reached out to sing on my album. I love Nicole’s voice and I love her artistry. I am lucky enough to I know her as a friend too. She immediately responded with an enthusiastic “yes,” and told me about how The Burdens Of Being Upright had inspired her. We sent her two song choices that we thought might be appropriate for her and she immediately said “I love ‘Tell It To The Sky’.” Nicole was gracious enough to fly to Brooklyn from Nashville to record her vocals in John’s home studio in between tour dates promoting her new (and amazing) album, Goodnight Rhonda Lee.

“Kisses” (featuring Rachel Yamagata):Rachael is a dear friend of mine. John and I felt her deep, sultry voice would sound amazing on Kisses. While taking a break from touring her wonderful Tightrope Walker album, she came over to my studio in Woodstock, NY and we recorded her vocals to my scratch guitar track. The track morphed into something completely different as John and I arranged it for ambient guitar and violin section instead of the lonely desert guitar sound it was created with. Rachael’s voice was the glue that held it together as we tried other versions around the single vocal track.

“Brain Crack” (featuring Kathryn Calder):Kathryn’s voice is a beautiful thing to behold. I have always been a fan of the New Pornographers and became a bigger fan when she joined the band. She adds her cautious beauty to everything she touches. Her solo work is excellent too, and her videos have an irony I totally enjoy. I met her through Twitter (yes, I Tweeted at her) and she wrote back an excited message saying The Burdens Of Being Upright was an influential album for her. We spoke on the phone and I knew she and I would be friends. She chose “Brain Crack” from a short list. John transformed the 30-second odd little ditty that I had previously recorded on the violin for the Burdens album, and he made it into a vibey, sexy song that I cannot stop listening to. Kathryn recorded all the vocals and harmonies in her recording studio at home in British Columbia and emailed the tracks to us, along with additional piano and keyboard tracks. She and my producer, John, turned this quirky snippet into a full blown Zero-7 like track.

“The One”:Originally, this song was supposed to be the “big hit” back in the ’90s. The ill-fated plan was that “Mother Mother” would be the set up and this one would be the slam dunk. It had swirling electric guitars, massive drums, a screaming pop chorus and a rushed tempo of youth in the ’90s. Today it is a contemplative piano ballad reminiscent of a 1970s singer-songwriter. “You’re the one, the one that froze the sun…” having been written about an intimidating and misogynist ex-boyfriend at the time, is now about allowing someone to take the reins of your life and ride it into darkness.

“One Hit Wonder”:This song was my preemptive strike against anyone who might call me a “one hit wonder.” I must have had some intuition and probably felt pretty insecure about it back in the day. Re-recording this one with a pop sensibility and a bland pop vocal was intentional.

“Sharks Can’t Sleep” (Featuring Tanya Donelly):I have always been a fan of Tanya’s work in Throwing Muses and Belly. I felt somewhat nervous reaching out to her (yes, via Twitter, again) because I assumed she was just too cool to even know the Burdens album. Something I should say about her and all of the women I came up with in the ’90s — we were pitted against each other. We were compared to each other. There wasn’t enough room for all of us so we felt competitive toward each other. So, I was happily surprised to receive her warm reaction: “I love the song ‘Sharks Can’t Sleep’.” She then wrote a direct message to me (via Twitter) telling me her heartwarming story how she had heard “Mother Mother” on a transistor radio while stranded in a foreign country and how it made her feel at home. We immediately became friends. She recorded her vocals in Massachusetts with the help of Scott Janowitz. I love how this album is a collaboration of so many incredibly talented people.

“Bulldog”:This song used to be my least favorite song on the album with its simple structure, its pop/wannabe-punk sensibility and it’s edgy lyrics about a misogynist boyfriend who only thought with his dick. Now it might be one of my favorite tracks. I can’t help but smile when I hear this song. This has to do with the production and I CANNOT thank John Wlaysewski enough for breathing new life into this song, as well as all the others.

“Every Breath” (Featuring Kay Hanley):Kay and I basically cut our teeth in Boston together. She is one of the reasons why I wanted to start a band. I would go to Letters To Cleo shows in the early ’90s and study how it was done. I didn’t know how to be in a band. Kay certainly did. She could hold the entire room in the palm of her hand. Asking her to be on this album was a no brainer, and this song, in particular, screamed for her vocals. When I hear this version of “Every Breath” it takes me back to those Letters To Cleo shows at the Paradise, or TT The Bears, or The Middle East where the world was right in front of us.

“30 Seconds” (featuring Angie Hart):Being in Boston in the ’90s was like going to alternative rock school. WFNX alternative radio station introduced me to many amazing bands and artists and Frente! was one of them. John Wlaysewski, producer for Modern Burdens, personally knew Angie, the singer for Frente!. He suggested that she sing one of the songs and of course, being a fan I said, “Yes!” The obvious fit for her voice was the song “30 Seconds”. This song is a sad but beautiful song about fame and the transient nature of it all. Angie’s beautiful voice glides and shimmers and brings me back to a time when female alternative rock singers had style. She recorded her vocal tracks in Melbourne, Australia where she lives and sent them to John via email.

“The Real” (Featuring Sadie Dupuis):Sadie was actually the first person I reached out to (ok, yes, via Twitter again) to sing on this album. Her guitar playing, her writing, and her arrangements, totally reminded me of a young me. There is a naiveté, or rather, there is an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude that I responded to immediately. There is abandon. There is authenticity. There is much irony. I love that. When I tweeted (is that an actual verb now?) she wrote back within seconds saying something like, “How often is it that you get a tweet from your hero and you happen to be listening to their album in the van!?” She told us she wanted to record “The Real” and it seemed obvious to us that this would become her song from now on.

PUNX.UK

PUNX.UK was formed by a Manchester anarcho punk collective in 2013 as a webzine sharing info on local gigs and bands.

Originally focusing on creating a DIY gig guide for our city we then expanded to cover the whole of the UK scene in 2014.

Since then we've faithfully tried to promote all the events, blogs, websites and sounds of resistance throughout the country and beyond.

In 2016 we partnered with Sabcat Workers Cooperative to produce dissident political wear providing financial support to the activist causes, benefits, unions, bands, and community groups that we work with.